S4E30: "Advancing Dairy Sustainability: Reducing Emissions and Improving Water Quality" | Paul Sousa

Summary:

In this episode of the "Seen and Herd" podcast, Allison Tristao interviews Paul Souza, the Director of Environmental Services. They discuss the Dairy Plus Program, which is focused on reducing methane emissions and improving water quality in dairy farming. The program is funded by federal sources and aims to support advanced manure management technologies that both reduce methane emissions and benefit water quality.

Paul explains that the program encourages farms to implement technologies that reduce excess nitrogen and nutrients in the liquid waste stream. These technologies include advanced solid manure separation, composting, and nitrogen treatment processes. The program's goal is to achieve a whole farm nitrogen balance, where the nitrogen produced by cows is balanced between safe use on crops and exporting the excess.

Paul also emphasizes the importance of carefully selecting appropriate technologies and solutions for each dairy's specific needs. He warns against hastily adopting technologies without considering their effectiveness in achieving the desired goals.

Furthermore, Paul connects the program's focus on water quality improvements with upcoming changes in water quality regulations. He mentions the implementation of the City Salts nitrate control program and a new dairy general order in the Central Valley, which will have stricter requirements. Additionally, he highlights the impact of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), which could limit irrigation water availability for dairies.

Overall, the Dairy Plus Program aims to help dairies prepare for future environmental changes while reducing methane emissions and improving water quality through the adoption of advanced manure management technologies.

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>> For questions about this episode, please contact Anja at anja@wudairies.com or Allison at allison@wudairies.com 

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